All dressed up in traditional Japanese costumes

From 3-9 December 2009, 33 JC1 GP/KI students, along with 3 GP/KI teachers embarked on a GP/KI Overseas Learning Trip to Kyushu, Japan. The educational objectives were to develop students’ critical thinking and independent learning skills while carrying out an in-depth study of a myriad of issues pertaining to Japanese society and doing cross-cultural comparisons to Singapore.

To make it a truly meaningful learning experience, each on-site visit included a question-and-answer session with relevant personnel. The many learning sites included visits to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and Ground Zero, Kumamoto’s local television company, the Minamata Disease Museum, a glass recycling plant and the Minamata City Hall.

Quizzing the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant guide

What was truly memorable was the personal interaction when we had our question-and-answer sessions. For instance, we had a talk by an A-bomb survivor, Yoshiro Yamawaki, and heard his heart-wrenching story of his hardship in the aftermath of the A-bomb, the sentiments of Japanese victims towards America as well as the issue of nuclear weapons. We also met media personnel and learnt about Japan’s media policies and the role of the media in shaping Japanese society. The session with a survivor of the Minamata Disease brought some of us to tears as we learnt about industrial pollution and corporate irresponsibility.

Of course, we also had our fun moments. During the half-day exchange programme with Hitsuyukan High School, we not only learnt about Japan’s education system, but were also awed by the students’ performances, especially their award winning Taiko Drums group. We also had a kimono fitting session where we were struck by the pride the Japanese have in their traditional Japanese kimono.

Indeed, all the students and teachers gained much valuable knowledge about Japan. More than that, the learning process was enhanced by the insights that were shared by our peers and teachers during the nightly reflections and discussion time.

Intense group discussion                         Nightly group discussions

The importance of being active and responsible for our own learning and the need to read and know more about world issues were key takeaways from this truly unforgettable GP/KI Overseas Learning Trip.

Anne Xue, 2SC3